“If Milkbar made Crack Pie, then this is Meth Cake.” -Geoff Rickly
Coffee & pastries. Coffee & cake. Coffee & pie. Coffee & donuts. Music to our ears. Each for different reasons. Some are good pairings for breakfast. Others for after dinner treats. But no matter how you arrive at them, just sit back, relax as they balance out the caffeine kick moving through your system. Below, our head coffee writer Geoff Rickly tackles the great debate of what pairs best with coffee and singles out his Top 11 NYC Desserts to enjoy with his most preferred beverage.
Pistachio Cardamom Cake | Ovenly
Teberkes | Restaurant Norman
Almond Chess Pie | Petee’s
Coffee Cake | Two Little Red Hen’s (via chubbybunnyeats)
Sweet & Salty | Baked
Nutella Chocolate Babka | Bread’s Bakery
Eclair | Bouchon Bakery
Maple Waffle Donut | Underwest (via miniwants)
Stollen | Bien Cuit
Gooey Butter Cake | Gooey & Co
Fromage Blanc | Chikalicious
11 Best Desserts to Enjoy w/Coffee in NYC
via Geoff Rickly, Coffee Enthusiast/Writer, coffee. curated.
- Teberkes, Restaurant Norman & Grand Central’s Great Northern Food Hall (Brooklyn/Manhattan) – Filled with a thin layer of almond paste and covered with poppy seeds, this beautifully layered pastry is your new best friend. I suggest heating it up for a few minutes before biting in for maximum crunch. (map)
- Pistachio Cardamom Cake w/Honey Buttercream, Ovenly (Greenpoint/Brooklyn) – The fragrant scent of cardamom hits you while the nuttiness of ground pistachio gives you something salty and sweet to chew on. Add this to a decadent honey buttercream, and you’ll be transported to spice markets in the Middle East. (map)
- Almond Chess Pie, Petee’s Pie Co (Lower East Side/Manhattan) – For a little taste of Southern hospitality, I highly recommend this rich, buttery pie rounded out with the sweet taste of almonds. If crust is your bae, then look no further, Petee’s pie crusts are why this bakery is one of the most talked about in New York. (map)
- Coffee Cake, Two Little Red Hen’s Bakery (Upper East Side/Manhattan) – Finally, a fluffy, spongy answer to ALL the dry coffee cake you’ve suffered. Cut into warm slices as big as softballs, this bakery churns out huge pans of this popular menu item daily. (map)
- Sweet & Salty Chocolate Cake, Baked (Red Hook/Brooklyn) – Why go for plain old chocolate cake when you can have delicious salted caramel baked in? No, seriously. Think about it. This is my go-to recipe for baking at home. It might be a few extra steps, but it’s such a crowd pleaser. (map)
- Nutella Chocolate Babka, Bread’s Bakery (Union Sq/Manhattan) – Braided into sticky, chocolatey layers, there is a reason why this nutella babka is the bakery’s star. With the sweet, soft dough complimenting the sugary brown crust, it’s really hard not to get addicted. (map)
- Better Nutter & Coffee Eclair, Bouchon Bakery (Upper West Side/Manhattan) – Better nutters are a deluxe nod to the classic, naughty, grade school treat. Their eclairs, on the other hand, are light, airy custard cream surrounded by a thin, flaky shell, topped by a cold, sugary glaze. It’s everything that an eclair should aspire to be. (map)
- Fromage Blanc Island “Cheese Cake”, Chikalicious (East Village/Manhattan) – It’s the idea of cheesecake floating on a pure white cloud. A dessert every coffee lover needs to understand. (map)
- Original Gooey Butter Cake, Gooey & Co (Brooklyn) – If Milkbar made Crack Pie, then this is Meth Cake. Everything about it feels like sinning, which is exactly why you need it. (map)
- Maple Waffle Donut, Underwest Donuts (Midtown West/Manhattan) – A rich maple glaze topped with a waffle cookie. The best cake donut in the city! Just make sure you buy it at the actual car wash location! I find the quality is fresher and better at the main shop. (map)
- Plum & Almond Stollen, Bien Cuit (Brooklyn/Manhattan) – Unexpectedly refined, this elegant version of the holiday classic holds back from the overly packed, weighted down stollen you grew up with. A must try with coffee for winter. (map)